Gaucho wrote:We don't need picks. Should we trade Letang, we need a proven defenseman in return.

Finally...to trade a Norris caliber d-man for a draft pick (minus like a Lemieux, Crosby type pick, but that's unrealistic going the other way) is usually a quick way to find the unemployment line. It's an outrageous proposition...ridiculous...

I would assume the Staal trade would be the template for any Letang trade. 1st round + serviceable replacement + prospect

More than that. Unless the serviceable replacement is upgraded for the quality of player. 2nd line center vs. #1 elite PMD. The difference in value is astronomical.

Can't win consistently without a #1 PMD. Never happen, never has. It might be the most valuable player type, so to speak, out there. It's a franchise cornerstone. Has been that way since the forward pass was liberalized and utilized.

More than that? You can't afford to sign more than that. You do realize there's a cap, right?

You do realize that 10 million spead across 4 players is better than spending 8 million on 1 position? Right? Right?

Letang is easily worth more than a draft pick and a side piece. Letang is a blockbuster deal requiring compensation greater than the average trade that you think happens. There are numerous 2nd line centers available on the market, but a 25-30 minute number 1 defenseman is one of the rarest breeds of hockey players. Add in his skating ability, age, and offensive prowess its easy to recognize the fact he is worth much more than a simple pick and an average joe.

Rylan wrote:Letang is easily worth more than a draft pick and a side piece. Letang is a blockbuster deal requiring compensation greater than the average trade that you think happens. There are numerous 2nd line centers available on the market, but a 25-30 minute number 1 defenseman is one of the rarest breeds of hockey players. Add in his skating ability, age, and offensive prowess its easy to recognize the fact he is worth much more than a simple pick and an average joe.

What do you constitute as an acceptable return, in that case? Being realistic to the cap, of course.

Rylan wrote:Letang is easily worth more than a draft pick and a side piece. Letang is a blockbuster deal requiring compensation greater than the average trade that you think happens. There are numerous 2nd line centers available on the market, but a 25-30 minute number 1 defenseman is one of the rarest breeds of hockey players. Add in his skating ability, age, and offensive prowess its easy to recognize the fact he is worth much more than a simple pick and an average joe.

What do you constitute as an acceptable return, in that case? Being realistic to the cap, of course.

Rylan wrote:Letang is easily worth more than a draft pick and a side piece. Letang is a blockbuster deal requiring compensation greater than the average trade that you think happens. There are numerous 2nd line centers available on the market, but a 25-30 minute number 1 defenseman is one of the rarest breeds of hockey players. Add in his skating ability, age, and offensive prowess its easy to recognize the fact he is worth much more than a simple pick and an average joe.

What do you constitute as an acceptable return, in that case? Being realistic to the cap, of course.

A #1 defenseman.

A top 2 defenseman, a prospect, and a pair of draft picks would be where I start.

Rylan wrote:Letang is easily worth more than a draft pick and a side piece. Letang is a blockbuster deal requiring compensation greater than the average trade that you think happens. There are numerous 2nd line centers available on the market, but a 25-30 minute number 1 defenseman is one of the rarest breeds of hockey players. Add in his skating ability, age, and offensive prowess its easy to recognize the fact he is worth much more than a simple pick and an average joe.

What do you constitute as an acceptable return, in that case? Being realistic to the cap, of course.

A #1 defenseman.

Well it just so happens that a #1 defensemen is available at #1 in the draft this year. And he will be cheap for many years.

Rylan wrote:Letang is easily worth more than a draft pick and a side piece. Letang is a blockbuster deal requiring compensation greater than the average trade that you think happens. There are numerous 2nd line centers available on the market, but a 25-30 minute number 1 defenseman is one of the rarest breeds of hockey players. Add in his skating ability, age, and offensive prowess its easy to recognize the fact he is worth much more than a simple pick and an average joe.

What do you constitute as an acceptable return, in that case? Being realistic to the cap, of course.

A #1 defenseman.

So a high draft pick and another top pairing d-man that can take on his minutes but not quite with the same offensive skillset, or maybe more defensive minded?

Rylan wrote:Letang is easily worth more than a draft pick and a side piece. Letang is a blockbuster deal requiring compensation greater than the average trade that you think happens. There are numerous 2nd line centers available on the market, but a 25-30 minute number 1 defenseman is one of the rarest breeds of hockey players. Add in his skating ability, age, and offensive prowess its easy to recognize the fact he is worth much more than a simple pick and an average joe.

What do you constitute as an acceptable return, in that case? Being realistic to the cap, of course.

A #1 defenseman.

Well it just so happens that a #1 defensemen is available at #1 in the draft this year. And he will be cheap for many years.

He will also lack experience for many years. I don't know much about Jones, but I do know that guys like Ray Bourque don't grow on trees.